Newswise — Dr. Mark Cichon, DO, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine of Loyola University Medical Center, has been named to the board of directors of the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians (ICEP). ICEP is the state medical specialty society representing 1,275 emergency physicians in Illinois.

“I have been a member of ICEP for many years and am honored to serve on the board,” said Cichon, who oversees emergency services at Loyola’s Maywood and Melrose Park campuses. “Emergency services continue to grow in importance not only as more people rely on emergency rooms for complex care but also as more emergency events occur in the world.”

The Illinois state chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, ICEP is dedicated to the support of quality emergency medical care and committed to the interests of emergency physicians. ICEP provides its members with significant benefits through active committees, continuing medical education programs and other activities including legislative lobbying, practice management assistance and public affairs programs

Cichon has served as division director for Loyola Emergency Medicine for the past 16 yearsSince 1995, annual patient volumes in Loyola’s emergency division have increased from 29,000 to 53,000 patients. At Loyola, Cichon has instituted several innovative programs to improve care for critically ill patients, including the Heart Attack Rapid Response Team, Telemedicine Stroke Program, Sepsis Blood Infection Program and Hypothermia Program.

The Loyola emergency medicine division is classified as a Level 1 Trauma Center, providing the highest level of surgical care to trauma patients. The division also has been recognized by groups such as The Joint Commission, the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, the American College of Surgeons for Trauma and the Illinois Department of Public Health for Trauma, Burns, Pediatric and Emergency departments.